Sinn Fein faces sanctions over £26m bank robbery

[emad]

Sunday Times
Liam Clarke



PENALTIES could be imposed on Sinn Fein this week as part of a growing backlash against the IRA抯 alleged role in Britain抯 biggest-ever bank robbery.

The sanctions are believed to be considered in a report into the ?6.5m raid written by the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC), the body that examines paramilitary activity.

It comes as Sinn Fein is looking increasingly isolated with the United States government condemning 損aramilitarism and associated criminality?as the central obstacle to peace.

The IMC report ?delivered to the British and Irish governments last week ?will be published midweek. It is expected to back the assessment by Hugh Orde, the Northern Ireland chief constable, that the republicans plotted the December 20 heist on the Northern Bank, and may impose sanctions.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,176-1471976,00.html

[MaineDem]

1. Innocent until proven guilty???

I thought that was a tenet of English law...silly me.

Imagine, English law in Ireland! :eyes:

[Stella_Artois]

5. Yes, imagine

You have to, because English law remains in England. Northern Ireland is part of the UK, so UK law applies.

[MaineDem]

6. That , rather vaguely, was my point

"Northern Ireland is part of the UK, so UK law applies."

Yes, I'm aware of that.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

2. I have to say that it does seem that the IRA did do this

The Irish Government and Irish intelligence seem to think so. I don't agree with everything in the article, but the idea that everyone is out to frame the IRA seems to be silly.

[Bridget Burke]

3. Which "Irish government"?

Members of Fianna Fail? A political party that's afraid of Sein Fein--which is a rival political party in the Republic?

Where's the evidence?

[Anarcho-Socialist]

4. Sinn Fein holds only 5 seats in the Dail, hardly a rival

Fianna Fail's rivals are Fine Gael.

EDIT: I believe a report is due to be released on Wednesday that is endorsed by the Irish Government that will feature the evidence that the Irish Government used to come to their conclusion.

[Kagemusha]

7. Logic's not the point here.

If Sinn Fein can say that everyone's afraid of it then that justifies a vast conspiracy to tarnish it spawned by the real bank robbers from England.

It's emotional equivalency, nothing more. "Who are you going to believe, us or THEM?" The facts cease to matter.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

8. self-delete

[jmcgowanjm]

9. “When the truth does come out there will be red faces.

The red faces will not be red Sinn Fein faces,” he (Gerry
Adams) said.

“You have this ridiculous situation that this guy Martin Doherty
(a former Provisional IRA member] is the only
person imprisoned following on the Saville Inquiry into
Bloody Sunday. You have a legal ability by Paul Murphy -
the secretary of state- to release him,” he said.

“You have Irish government ministers and the British secretary
of state saying it can’t be business as usual for Sinn Fein.
Now what does that mean? Does that mean our mandate
does not count?

http://www.dannymorrison.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-4340.html

Remember when it was illegal to broadcast Adams'
voice?

What are you afraid of UK?
Running out of money?